Vending-machine.



FURB'BR. VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEBJ. 1906.

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IINITED STATES PATENT CEEICE.

FREDERICK M. FURBER, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

' vENDlNe-MAGHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application filed February 1, 1906. Serial No. 298,946.

lmachine which is primarily designed for vending small round pellets, although it may be employed for vending packages.A

My inventionhas for itsobject to provide a vending-machine in which the coin-con trolled apparatus is simple in construction and unlikely to get out of order andl which cannot possibly 4be operated so as to deliver the contents 'of the magazine without delivery of the coin or check to the apparatus.

For an understanding of my invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure` 1 is a front elevation of a vdevice provided with my invention, a portion being broken away to show a section on line 1 1 of Fig. 6.y Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view on the line 2 2- of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail sectional views on the same line, showing the parts in diiIerent positions. Fig. 6 is a detail top plan view of the coin-controlled mechanism. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view thereof, and Fig. 8 is a detail view of the lower side ofthe coin-carrying slide.

In carrying out my invention I preferably employ a hollow cylindrical casing a, enlarged at the bottom to provide a suitable hollow base, said casing being provided at the front with an inspection-window a. A horizontal partition b is secured in said casing and constitutes thebottom of the magazine provided within the casing thereabove, and a filling-tube c extends from within the coin-receiving chamber in the base of the casing up through the bottom b, so that said magazine may be filled by inverting the apparatus, opening the door d in the bottom of the base, and pouring the material to be vended through the tube, said tube being normally closed by a cap c at its bottom.

The bottom b is provided with anopening b, which is shown as rectangular in form and having the rear edge b2 thereof obliquely inclined from the lower side of the bottom rearwardly and upwardly, for a purpose which hereinafter will appear, the other edges being vertical, as shown. A flat coin-slide e is mounted between guideway-.supports 'wf secured to the under side of the bottom b and having guideways thereon, said coin-slide being adapted to move above a projectin shelf a3 on the front sideof the casing a. Saicgi coin-slide is provided with a coin-receiving opening e', said opening being curved at its front edge portion e on a radius correspond- Ing to the radius of a coin of the `denomination to be inserted, and the cord connecting the ends of said edge portion e", which is perpendicular to the side edges of the slide, being of less length than the diameter of `the coin. The rearedge portion el of opening e is also circular and is of somewhat greater diameter than the coin to be used and the distancebetween the middle of saidy edges e0' and elo is slightly greater than said diameter. The object of forming `the opening e in` this manner is to prevent the lodgment of a' mutilated coin therein. A narrow slot e2 is also formed in the slide e longitudinally thereof, said slot leading from the rearside of the opening e" and extending for a suitable distance rearwardly. A rectangular-shaped opening e3 is also formed inthe rear `end of said Slide, .said opening being of the 4same width as the opening b in the bottom b, but of somewhat greater length. The slide e'is providedv with a downwardly-projecting rib e4L on its under side arranged close to the edges of said openin e3 at the front endand at eachl side thereo and ya bar e5 extends across the rear end of the slide to close the rear end of Said opening. A stop-pin e is provided in the bottom b, said pin being adapted to engage said slide at the ends of a notch e7 therein to limit the movement of said slide thereof in each direction.l A door or lid f is pivoted at f to lugs to2, formed on the under side of the guideway-supports w, said lid extending from a point directly beneath the 4frontend of the 'opening b yin the l bottom to a point within a short distance of the rear wall of the casing a and beneath the bar c5 when slide e is in its rearmost position. A bar g is mounted to slide longitudinally on a platef, secured to the under side of lid f,

and said bar g 1s provided with an upturned finger g at its front end, which is adapted to extend through the slot e2` in the slide e and to bear against the under side of the bot-v tom b and at its rear end with a downturned finger g2, to the lower end of which a spring h is attached, the opposite end of said spring being attached to a pin i, secured in the plate f and said spring constantly acting to draw the bar g toward the front of the apparatus. The lid f is provided with a forwardly-proecting finger f 2 at its pivoted end, said finger being arranged at one side thereof, and the coin-slide e is provided with a downwardlyprojecting cain-lug e on its under side in position to engage said finger f 2.

A tube y' extends transversely of the casing, said tube having a wide mouth open at its upper side beneath the rear end of the lid f,

. said tube being inclined downwardly and eX- tending through an opening a4 into a trough a5, secured to the front of the casing.

The operation of the device above described is as follows: The normal position ofk the parts may be considered as shown in Fig. 2 or in Fig. 3, but assuming that such position is shown in Fig. 2 the first operation will be to draw out the slide e into the position of Fig. 3. This may be done by hand, or a spring may be provided for forcing the slide out into its position at the end of each operation. When the slide is drawn out to the position of Fig. 3, the coin-opening e will be v directly over the shelf a3, and the opening e3 the pellets which are held in the chamber formed by opening c3 and'lid f below the under side of the bottom b will be pushed rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, the depth of such j chamber being approximately the same as the diameter of the pellets. rlhe front edge of the opening e3 is beveled oppositely to the edge b2, so that the pellets will be forced up- `wardly, which bear against these surfaces7 with the result that practically all possibility of one or more of the pellets being ammed or crushed between these two surfaces as the slide is pushed inwardly is prevented. As opening e3 is somewhat longer than opening i, ample room is provided in the chamber formed by said opening 3 for all the pellets which are likely to fall or be forced therein. As the slide e is pushed inwardly the coin fr will be forced against the upturned finger g of the bar g, (see Fig. 4,) and on further inward movement of the slide the spring h will be stretched, causing finger g to be pressed against the coin with corresponding force, so that the coin will be clamped between said The coin is then placed finger and the front side e of theopening e', with the result that when the coin is carried in beyond the shelf a it will not fall, but will be held in the same position. As soon as the spring 7L is placed under tension it will act to press the upper end of the finger g against the under side of the bottom l), as said spring acts in a line below the level of the pivot j", and during the continued inward movement of the slide e the bar g will be pressed inwardly, stretching the spring 71, still more until the finger g reaches the opening l1 in the bottom b. When this point is reached, the finger g will then be forced up into the opening li by the spring h, and the lid f will also be swung downwardly, so that the parts will assume the position shown in Fig. 5. In this position the pellets which have been supported by the lid will roll down the same and will be discharged into the tube j, so that they will roll down into the cup a5, where they may be secured by the purchaser. As soon as the slide is drawn back again the cam-lug c will engage the fingerf2 on the lid f and will swing the latter back into the horizontal position of Fig. 2, the linger g being withdrawn from the opening l2 during this movement. As soon as the slide e is drawn forwardly the coin which has been clamped between the finger g and the front side e0 of the opening e will be released, as the bar g will be held from forward movement until the slide c has been drawn forwardly far enough to throw the lid j back to the horizont-al position., so that the coin may fall into the base of the casing. Frein the foregoing description it will be apparent that it is only possible to swing down the lid f, so

'as to release the material to be Vended, by

forcing the slide e in far enough to carry the coin inside the casing, and it will also appear that the finger g cannot swing up into the opening b until the front side c" of the opening c has been carried completely within the casing, as shown in Fig. 5, in which position the slot in the casing in which the slide moves is completely closed by the slide, so that it would not be possible to insert an instrument so as to force back the bar g far enough to cause the lid f to tip. It will also be apparent that if the coin is forced in far enough to cause the bar g to be moved to such a position that its end g may pass up into the opening b the slide cannot then be drawn back without the coin being released and falling into the base of the machine. In other words, it is not possible to manipulate the apparatus so as to secure the goods without delivering the coin.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1, A coin-controlled apparatus having a magazine, a coin-carrying slide having a chamber adapted to be connected with said magazine when the slide is'in its outer position and to be disconnected therefrom when in its inner position, and means Jfor normally closing the bottom of said chamber disposed to be moved ,to its open position by the coin` in its inner position, a lid for closing the bottom of said chamber, and means for normally holding said lid in its closed position and disposed to be moved to its open position by the coin as it is carried inward by the slide. substantially as described.

3. A coin-controlled apparatus comprising a magazine having an opening in its bottom, a coin-carrying slide movable beneath said bottom having a chamber therein open at its top and arranged to register with said opening when the slide is in its outer position, a lid for closing the bottom of said chamber, a locking-bar for holding the same in its closed position, disposed to be engaged by the coin as it is-carried inward by the slide to move said bar to release said lid, substantially as described. v

4. A coin-controlled apparatus comprising a magazine, a coin-carrying slide having a chamber open at its top and adapted to be connected with said magazine when the slide is in its outer position and to be disconnected therefrom when in its inner position, a closing device for the bottom of said chamber, a spring-actuated locking device for normally holding said closing device in its closed position disposed'to be moved by the coin as it is carried inward by the slide to permit the same to open said chamber, substantially as described.

5. A coin-controlled apparatus comprising a casing having a bottom, to provide a magazine. said bottom having a discharge-opening and an elongated bearing-surface` on its under side, a coin-carrying slide .mounted beneath said bottom having a receivingchamber open at its top and arranged to register with said discharge-opening when the slide is in its outer position, a lid pivoted below said slide for closing the bottom of said receiving-chamber, a bar mounted on said lid and normally held in `engagement with said bearing-surface to hold said lid in its closed position and disposed to be moved out of engagement with said surface by the coin as it is moved inward by the slide to permit said lid to swing downward to open said chamber, substantially as described.

6. A coin-controlled apparatus comprising a casing having a bottom, to provide a magazine, said bottom having a discharge-opening and an elongated bearing-surface on its under side, a coin-slide mounted beneath said bottom having a receiving-chamber open at its top and arranged to register with said discharge-opening when'the slide is in its outer position, a lid pivotally connected to said bottom and disposed beneath said slide to close the bottom of said receiving-chamber therein, said slide having a coin-opening and a rearwardly-extending slot leading therefrom, a spring-actuated bar mounted on said lid and extending through said slot to engage said bearing-surface, normally to hold said lid in its closed position, and movable out of engagement with said surface to release said lid, said parts `being arranged to cause the coin to be forced into engagement with said bar, upon inward movement of the slide, to move the bar out of engagement with said surface, substantially as described.

7. A coin-controlled apparatus comprising a magazine, a coin-carrying slide having a receiving-chamber therein adapted t0 be connected with said magazine when in its outer position, closing devices supported independently of said slide and normally extending beneath the same to close the bottom of its chamber in all positions thereof, and means disposed to be engaged by the coin as it is carried inwardly by the slide for moving said closing devices to 'open said chamber, substantially as described.

8. A coin-controlled apparatus having a magazine, a coin-carrying slide having a chamber adapted to be connected with said magazine when the slide is in its outer position and to be disconnected therefrom when in its inner position, a lid stationarily pivoted below said slide and extending t0 close the bottom of said chamber in all positions ofthe slide,means for holding said lid in position to close said chamber and means, disposed to be operated by the coin as it is carried inward by the slide, for releasing said holding means to permit said lid to move to its open position, substantially as described.

9. A coin-controlled apparatus having a magazine, a coin-carrying slide having a chamber adapted to be supplied from said magazine, a stationarily-pivoted lid beneath said slide adapted to close the bottom of said chamber in all positions of the slide, a bar slidably mounted in said lid, and movable in the same direction as the slide, a spring acting to move said bar outward, a support normally engaged by said bar to hold said lid in its closed position, said slide having a coinengaging face between which and said bar the coin is adapted to be clamped as the slide is forced inwardly, and means ermitting said bar to` swing to open said lid3 when the bar is forced inwardly to a redetermined position, said means being a apted to holdsaid bar from outward movement on the initial I name to this s outward movemenlt 'of the sllde, and meansoperated by said s ide, or re easing said bar n and returning sind iid no iis iniiinl position l* REDERICK M' FURBER 5 during the continued outward movement Witnesses:

thereof, substantially as described. LOUIS H. HARRIMAN,'

In testimony whereof I have signed my I H. B. DAVIS.

peooation in the presence of tWo subscrlblng Wltnesses. 

